Pennsylvania has a little something for everyone, but despite its history and things to do, it can be a bit boring to drive through. Your attention might wander, and that can lead to car accidents, personal injuries, and negligence cases. Then you have to figure out who's at fault, who's to blame and who is liable. We can help you figure that out. Maybe you got hurt, or maybe a family member or friend did. Whatever happens during your Pennsylvania journeys, if you need guidance for your personal injury case, Enjuris can help.

Pennsylvania Personal Injury Cases & Accident Info

Pennsylvania statutes online

This is where you’ll find the Pennsylvania unofficial statutes. The website has details about how long you have to bring a case, monetary limits on personal injury cases (which are also known as damage caps), and other important information.

To read:

Pennsylvania's car accident statutes of limitation

In Pennsylvania, you have two years to bring both a personal injury and a property damage claim. That means you have only two years to file your paperwork with the court, not that your case has to be completed in that time frame.

To read:

Hiring the right Pennsylvania lawyer

The initial meeting with a personal injury attorney is normally free. (Note that other legal specialties, such as domestic relations law or real estate law, are different.) After that, lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means that they will take a third of the eventual reward, plus whatever office expenses they incur along the way.

If your case goes to trial, that percentage could rise to 40% of the eventual reward or judgment. These numbers aren't determined by law, so don't be surprised if your lawyer suggests something else.

Cases of interest in Pennsylvania

These are some cases of legal importance that came out of Pennsylvania's courts:

Williams v. Pennsylvania, 579 U.S. ____ (2016): This United States Supreme Court case held that if a prosecutor is seeking the death penalty against a defendant, he should recuse himself from the case if asked to judge the appeal. That means he should remove himself entirely from the case because he will not be able to be impartial, and his participation in the case would violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. There was a significant risk of "actual, personal bias."

Pennsylvania v. Mimms, 434 U.S. 106 (1977): This criminal decision holds that if a police officer orders a person out of a car after a traffic stop and performs a pat down to check for dangerous weapons, it does not violate that person's right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment. This case followed the reasoning in Terry v. Ohio, which said that an officer could use "the facts available to the officer at the moment of the seizure or the search" and that the officer could use the facts he had available to him, which at that moment were a bulge under the suspect's jacket – which turned out to be an unlicensed gun.

Simeone v. Simeone, 525 Pa. 392 (1990): The parties signed a prenuptial agreement – the husband was a neurosurgeon making $90,000 a year, the wife an unemployed 23-year-old nurse. The clauses of the contract, which he gave to her on their wedding night, stated that in the event of their divorce, she would be limited to $200 a week and a limit of $25,000 total. She did not seek legal counsel and signed without reviewing it. When they ultimately separated, she tried to claim that the contract was inequitable and she had not had it independently reviewed. However, that was to her detriment, and she'd had the opportunity. Even though the final draft was given on the wedding night, they had discussed it for about six months prior. She'd had ample time to secure legal counsel.

Data and statistics

Pennsylvania law libraries

There are a number of issues you can solve without the help of an attorney. If you don't know where to start, a law librarian can help you. They are usually legally trained, and they can help you both with texts or online research engines like LexisNexis or Westlaw.

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If your goal is to help people after an accident or injury – or to prevent them in the first place – we'd love to hear from you! We look to work with educators, healthcare and recovery organizations, insurance providers, law firms and other organizations. Get in touch to see how we can work together. Learn more...